Ohi and gas well packer



Aug. 21, 1928.

J. W. SMITH ET AL OIL AND GAS WELL PACKER Filed July 14, 192'? 2Sheeis-Sheet l @O O O @oog Y w (ffy, 5.

INI/ENTORS ATTORNEY.

Aug. 21, 1928.

J. W. SMITH ET AL o1L AND GAS WELL PAGKER N .mw m m m um w Q l A S ,Z chW. MMI 6 1 2 1 l 1 Q M u w w ww w l U1* s 1 f J m L 4. l E 5 f 4 /1/ /MM ow 2 L LA L Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. SMITH, GREGG E. SAWYEB, AND VIRGIL L. MARTIN, F INDEPENDENCE,KANSAS.

OIL AND GAS WELL PACKER.

Application led July 14,

This invention relates to oil or gas well packers, and it has for itsob'ect to provide a simple and efficient device o this character adaptedto be lowered into a well in a contracted condition and to be thereaftereX- panded and brought into fluid tight engagement with the walls of theshot hole in such manner as to eectively shut off tlie passage of liquidor gases past the packer.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in thedetailed description which follows:

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional l view, illustrating thedevice positioned in a shot hole, and before it has been drawn upwardlyto packing position,

Fig. 2 is a view like Fig. 1, illustrating the packer drawn upwardly topack the mouth of the outlet from thel shot hole Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the packer and associated parts,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontalsectional view upon line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a locking collar, hereinafter described.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures ofthe' drawing.

In the drawing 5 designates the well tubing, which includes collars 6and 7 in its length. The lower portion of the tubing is adapted to slidethrough a disc 9 that is disposed within a coupling 10, and is clampedbetween the lower end of a metallic sleeve 11 and the upper end of aperforated anchoring sleeve l2. The lower end of an expansible rubbersleeve 13 is secured by the means of a band or wire 14 to the lowerportion of the sleeve 11, while the u per end of the rubber sleeve 13 isconnected) through the medium of a collar 15 with the tubing just belowthe collar 6.

The upper end of the sleeve 11 carries an inwardly projecting ring 16that is provided with diametrically opposed slots 17 The tubing carriesa pair of collars 16 and 19, said collars comprising annular portions18?--19a and lugs :18h-19h A spring 20 bears between thegunderside ofthe collar 19, and washer 21. 'fWasher 21, in turn, bears upon ahruglberpacking gasket 22, which rests upon t e `sc 9. With the parts in theposition illustrated i927. sriai N0. 205,717.

in Fig. 1, the lugs 19b of collar 19 are out, o f line with tlie slot 17of ring 16, and said ring lies between lugs 19", and the annular member19a of collar 19. Thus the parts are locked in position and there can beno endwise movement of the tubing with respect to the sleeve 11, and itsassociated parts, and the rubber sleeve 13 is held in its longitudinallyelongated condition or in laterally contracted condition, so that itmay, without interference, be lowered through the well casing 22 andinto the shot hole 23. The lowering of the tubing and the packer iscontinued until thel perforated anchor sleeve 12 rests upon the bottomof the shot hole.

The tubing 5 is then given a quarter turn to bring the lugs 19b intoalignment with the slots 17, after which the tubing is lowered, withrelation to sleeve l1 and its associated parts, until the lugs 18b ofcollar 18 have passed through the slot 17. Then the tubing is givenanother quarter turn to bring the lugs 16h out of alignment with theslots 17 and this locks the tubing in its lowered position. .Thedownward movement of the tubing, with respect to the sleeve 11, expandsthe rubber sleeve to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. Then the tubingis drawn upwardly until theexpansible member constituted by the rubbersleeve contacts with the wall of the shot hole adjacent the lower end ofthe casing 22. A further upward movement of the tubing and sleeve 11(which is now locked to the tubing) causes a further expansion of therubber sleeve and brings it to the posi# tion illustrated in Fig. 6, atwhich time it completely seals the entrance to the shot hole,

both with respect to theinterior and exterior of the well casing 22,thereby positively preventing the escape of either liquid or gases fromthe shot hole.

When it is desired to remove the packer the operation is reversed. Thatis to say, the tubing, which up to this time has been held in place bysuitable vmeans at the surface of the well, is lowered, until the sleeve12 rests upon tlie bottom of the shot hole. .Then the tubing is given aquarter turn to bring the lugs l8binto alignment with the slots 17 sothat when the tubingis lifted the spring 30 may act to thrust sleeve 11,and associatedV parts, downwardly with respect to the tubing, therebyrestoring the parts to the position i 'lustrated in Fig. 1, it beingunderstood that after the lugs 19b have passed through the slots 17, thetubing will be given a quarter turn to lock collar 19 to ring 16.

The aforesaid action brings the sleeve 13 to its contracted position sothat the whole structure may be withdrawn from the well.

Attention is directed to the fact that the packing washer 22 serves toprevent the entry of either fiuids or gases, under pressure, to theinterior of sleeve 11 and the expansible member 13.

We wish further to state that we contemplate the use of this packer inconjunction with the conventional disc trip or similar mechanism.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction set forth, but that it includes within its purview anychanges which fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of theappended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A well packer comprising a well tubing, a tubular member encirclingsaid tubing, an expansible sleeve, the lower end of which is secured tosaid tubular member, and the upper end of which is engaged with saidwell tubing, the parts being so arranged that the expansible sleeve isbulged outwardly to an extent to present an upwardly facing surface ofcontact when the well tubing is moved downwardly with respect to saidtubular member and means for locking the well tubing to the tubularmember to thereby hold said sleeve in its bulged position when the welltubing is drawn upwardly to bring said contact surface into packingengagement with the mouth of the outlet from a shot hole.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1, in combination with means forsealing the lower end of the tubular member against the entrance ofeither uids or gases under pressure.

3. A device of the character described, comrising in combination a welltubing, a tubuar member through which said well tubing passes, a rubbersleeve the lower end of which is secured to the outside of said tubularmember, and the upper end oi which is engaged with the well tubing, andlocking members between said tubular member and the well tubing operableunder turning movement o the well tubing with respect to t-he tubularmember for locking the well tubing against movement with respect to saidtubular member.

4. A structure as recited in claim 3, in combination with a springtending to thrust the well tubing upwardly and the tubular memberdownwardly with respect to each other.

5. A device of the character described, comprising in combination a welltubing, a tubular member through which said well tubing passes, a rubbersleeve the lower end of which is secured to the outside of said tubularmember, and the upper end of which is engaged with the well tubing,locking members between said tubular member and the well tubing operableunder turning movement of the wel] tubing with respect to the tubularmember for lock-ing the well tubing against movement with respect tosaid tubular member, said locking means being operable at both the upperand lower limits of movement of the well tubing.

6. A device of thc charactnr described, comprising in coml'iination awell tubing, a tubular member through which Said well tubing passes, arubber sleeve the lower end of which is secured to the outside of saidtubular member, and the upper end of which is engaged with the welltubing, and locking members between said tubular member and the welltubing operable under turning movement of the well tubing with respectto the tubular member for locking the well tubing against movement withrespect to said tubular member, a gasket at the lower end of saidtubular member, and a spring acting between said gasket and an elementof said locking mechanism.

7 A device of the character described, comprising a well tubing, atubular member surrounding the same, a rubber sleeve the lower end ofwhich is engaged with said tubular member and the upper end of which isengaged with the well tubing, a slotted ring carried by the upper end ofthe tubular member, a pair of spaced locking collars upon the welltubing comprising lugs adapted to be passed through the slots of saidring and to be locked against movement with respect to said ring byhaving their lugs turned out of registry with said slots, and a sprindisposed within the tubular member tending to thrust said tubular memberdownwardly with respect to the well tubing.

8. A structure as recited 1n claim 7, in combination with packing meansfor sealing the lower end of the tubular member and upon which saidpacking means the lower end of said spring acts.

9. A well packer comprising a well tubing, a tubular member encirclingsaid tubing an expansible sleeve, the lower end of which is secured tosaid tubular member, and the upper end of which is engaged with saidwell tubing, the parts being so arranged that the expansible sleeve isbulged outwardly to an extent to present an upwardly facing surface ofcontact when the well tubing 1s moved downwardly with respect to saidtubular member, means for locking the well tubing to the tubular memberto thereby hold said sleeve in its bulged position when the well tubingis drawn upwardly to bring said contact surface into packing engagementwith the mouth of the outlet from a shot hole, and packing means carriedby the tubular member through which the well tubing slides, said packingmember serving to prevent the entrance of either fluids or gases underpressure to the interior of the expansible sleeve.

l0. A well packer comprising a well tubing, a tubular member encirclingsaid tubing, an expansible sleeve, the lower end of which is secured tosaid tubular member, and the upper end of which is engaged with saidwell tubing, the parts being so arranged that the expansible sleeve isbulged outwardly to an extent to present an upwardly facing surface ofcontact when the well tubing is moved downwardly with respect to saidtubular member, inter-engaging lockinor elements between the well tubingand tubular member for locking these parts together at either theirupper or lower limits of movement, the locking of the parts together, attheir upper limits of movement, serving to hold the said sleeve inelongated and laterally contracted condition, and the locking of saidparts together at the lower limit of movement serving to hold the sleevein its outwardly' bulged position so that ywhen the well tubing is drawnupwardly the upwardly facing surface of contact of the sleeve will bedrawn into papking relation to the mouth of the shot 11. A structure asrecited in claim 10, in combination with a spring encircling the welltubing and acting to thrust the tubular member upwardly and the welltubing downwardly with respect to each other.

In testimony whereof we aiiX our signatures.

JOHN w. SMITH. GREGG E. SAWYER. VIRGIL L. MARTIN.

